Method and apparatus for determining the eye color reflex sensation



1947- P. s.- NEWTON 2,425,821

METHQD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE EYE COLOR REFLEX SENSATION I Filed April 19, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l r'l INVENTOR.

PH/LL/P 5 Mswro/v 1947' P. s. 'NIEWTCN 2,425,821

METHOD APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE EYE COLOR REFLEX SENSATION Filed April 19, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 h P E A 3 A *k I I E i [U 1 Q\ w i l l 9 i M I]W e :s a m! .m

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Patented Aug. 19, 1947 OFFICE RATUS FOR DETERMIN. IN G THE EYE COLOR REFLEX SENSATION Phillip S. Newton, Oakland, Calif., assignor of one-half to Paul A. Peters Application April 19, 1944, Serial No. 531,720

METHOD AND APPA 8 Claims.

The invention relates to a method and appar tus for registering the photo-chemical color reflex of the human eye.

It is generally recognized that the chemical action of light has definite prophylactic and therapeutic effect upon living organisms. It is also recognized that lights of different colors pro" duce distinctive effects upon substances subjected thereto, and that all colors should be absorbed in substantially equal amounts. This has been found to be particularly true with respect to substances such as the refractive media contained within the eye, and I have determined absorption in such substances, of the various colors, is dependent upon the acuity of the eye for perception of the colors. Therefore, when a deviation from norma1 color perception exists, a correction in the amount of color absorption may be obtained by causing the light to enter the eye through a medium, such exactness to compensate for the eyes defect.

It will thus be evident that it becomes necessary to determine with precision the exact degree of perceptivity which the eye has or lacks for the different colors. In this connection, I have found that each individual has a different color sensitivity for each of the primary colors. Thus, one person is more sensitive to red, and can determine the presence of red-far more quickly than can others, while others can determine the presence of some other color more readily. In practising the present invention, I first determine what may be termed the basic sensibility of the eye to each of the primary colors. The point at which the eye is able to recognize the presence of a selected color fixes its minimum sensibility. Since the less sensitivity the eye has for a given color, the greater will be the intensity of the color required for recognition, it will be seen that the exact amount or intensity of color to be supplied for the eye will be automatically determined, and this is so whether the sensibility or perceptivity for any color is normal, abnormal or deficient. That in general, at least all of the primary colors should be included in the lens, and in the respective proportions as the sensibiltiy of the eye for each of the colors requires, will be evident from the fact that to omit for example the color or colors in which the eye sensibility is normal, Wouldcause the colors included for deficiencies. to neutralize the other colors and render the eye deficient in receptivity of the colors to which it was otherwise normally sensible. After the sensibility of the eye to each color has been determined, the minimum sensibility illumination or as a lens colored with 5 intensity required for each color is blended to provide a single combined color, Since the color mixture may thus be arrived at with mathematical exactness, no resort need be had to interpolation or diagnosis on the part of the operator conducting the examination. This is a most important feature of the invention, and in order to insure for the lens a true reproduction of the color mixture determined by the examination, I provide as a part of the apparatus for ascertaining the minimum sensibility illumination, 9. means of registering such minimum sensibility in units of color intensity or valuation whereby the colors may be exactly duplicated simply by adopting such color registration as the lens color formula.

As an example of the method and apparatus as used in a typical examination, the apparatus will include a means for exposing to the eye the primary colors red, blue and green and the secondary color yellow, each of the colors being pro vided in the form of a corresponding colored light, the intensity of which may be varied, and is registered in terms of color value as aforesaid. The procedure in making the examination is to exclude all light from the eyes and then sue-- cessively introduce into the field of vision the colored lights. Usually the eye is first introduced to the red light, which is progressively increased in intensity from zero to the point at which the eye first identifies the color red. This point of color valuation is automatically registered, and the operator may thereupon record the reading, or may leave the reading for later recording after completion of the entire examination. The red colored light is then extinguished to permit testing of the eye for the next color and succeeding colors. Between the individual 0010: tests the eye is exposed to a purely white light for a sufficient interval of time to eliminate the visual after-image of the preceding colored light, and preferably such white light exposure is utilized in advance of the first color exposure.

After the point of identification for each color has been determined, the patient and the operator may be permitted a view of the composite color, representing the combined sensibility of the eye for the colors used in the examination by illuminating simultaneously all the lights at the respective registered intensities. The registered color intensities now provide the formula for duplicating in eyeglass lenses the exact composite color as produced in the apparatus.

The invention possesses in addition to the foregoing, other objects and features of advantage, someof. which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention, which is in part illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by said drawings and description, may be adopted Within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of an apparatus made in accordance with my invention for determing the photo-chemical color sensitivity of the eyes.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic representation of the electric circuit as utilized in the apparatus.

The apparatus as illustrated in the drawings comprises a casing'4 formed and positioned to define a horizontally extending elongated chamber 6 at one end of which is provided a plurality of separate compartments arranged transversely of one another. The compartments are arranged to provide lights of the various colors for which the eyes are to be tested, and since the present machine is designed for testing the eye for its reaction to red, blue, green, and yellow, four of these compartments, 1, 8, 9, and 10, are provided for these respective colors. As a source of illumination within each compartment there may be provided an electric light such as a flood lamp l2, it being understood, that an individual lamp is provided in each compartment, and preferably the lamps are mounted for universal adjustment so that if desired the angle of the beam may be varied. The compartments are substantially sealed against light inter-communication and are preferably closed except for an opening l3 at the side adjacent the chamber 5, and through which the light from the lamps is arranged to be projected into said chamber. An opening i4 is also preferably provided at the rear side of the compartment through which access may be had to the compartments from the exterior of the casing. A closure H3 is provided to cover the opening [4.

Provision is made for inserting appropriately colored glass plates 20 or the like across the openings 13 of the various compartments so as to cause projection of appropriately colored light within the chamber 6. The plates are supported in the openings by channels 11 and the plates may be inserted into or removed from their operative positioning in the opening through closable apertures 18 in the Walls of the casing 4. Preferably provision is made to accommodate a plurality of the colored plates in each compartment opening so that the shade and hue of the color projected through the opening may be varied or changed as desired.

The casing, at the end opposite that occupied by the light compartments, is provided with an opening I!) in which are positioned one or more translucent plates 2i which serve to diffuse the light projected thereupon from within the casing. It will be understood that the plate 2! is exposed to the exterior of the casing and provides the visual area upon which the eyes are concentrated for the examination.

For the purpose of accomplishing the variation in color intensity so as to ascertain the point at which recognition of a color by the patient is possible as previously explained, preferably the amount of light at each source of illumination is arranged to be varied, and as here shown that is,

accomplished by providing a rheostat 22 for each of the lights or lamps l2. As will be noted from Figure 3, lights associated with the respective compartments 1, 8, 9, and H] are connected with branch circuits 23, 24, 25, and 26 respectively, and that a rheostat 22 is inserted in each of such circuits. As will be understood, the eye is to be tested for each of the colors separately of each other, and in order that the operator may readily and conveniently choose the individual colors, there is provided a selector switch 28 having connections 29, 30, 3| and 32 with the branch circuits 23, 24, 25 and 26 respectively. The difierent circuits may be closed for any one of the colored lights by positioning the lever 34 of the selector in contact with the appropriate connection, the lever being connected electrically to one side of a source of current by a conductor 36.

As hereinabove referred to a very important part of the invention, is the provision of means for registering the different intensities of each of the colored lights so that the exact minimum amount of color strength or illumination required by the eye for identifying the different colors will be automatically indicated to the operator for recording or prescribing and without the necessity of mathematical computation. This is very simply accomplished in the present embodiment of the apparatus of the invention by providing graduations 3'! of suitable units of color value directly on the rheostat control dials 38 a suit able fixed indicator 39 being appropriately provided on the rheostat panel 4! in proper cooperative relation with the graduations on the dial. The units of color value being either in accordance with a standard color strength scale or a predetermined reference of color-strength coefiiciency established for convenience between the operator of the machine and the supplier of the colored lens.

Preferably arranged within the chamber 6 and mounted at the front of the compartments is a white light 42 which is designed for use in clearing or dissipating the after-color image to which the eye may be subjected on termination of its exposure to a colored light. In the use of the light, it will be turned on between the different colored light exposures and for an interval of time sufficient to dispel the complementary color after-effect produced in the eye by the previous color exposure. It will be understood that the light 42 will be turned off during each color exposure, and as will be clear from Figure 3 an electric switch 43 is provided to control the operation of the light 42, its operation being controlled independently of the control for the colored lights. The light 42 may be utilized prior to the commencement of the examination and the first colored light exposure to insure against undesired residual color influences retained in the eye.

With the apparatus as thus described the operation for conducting the examination and determining the color sensitivity is as follows:

With the eye focused directly upon the external side of the diffusion plate, the light 42 is first turned on for an appropriate period of time to clear the eye of any lingering color influences. Upon turning out the light, the operator then turns on by means of the. selector switch the appropriate colored light with which the eye is to first be tested, the associated rheostat having been set at the point providing for minimum intensity. The rheostat is manipulated as to gradually increase the intensity of the colored light until the patient is first able to identify and distinguish the color. With this point of color identification thus determined and at the same time automatically registered, the operator moves the selector switch lever from the connection with the previous colored light thereby extinguishing the latter. He then turns on the white light for a suificient period of time to eradicate the complementary colored after-image caused by viewing the colored light and then, upon extinguishing the white light, moves the selector switch lever to the next colored light connection and repeats the color determining and registering operation with respect to said color. The procedure is then repeated in reference to the remaining colors until a determination and registration has been secured for all of the colors to which it is desired to subject the eye. Thereupon the operator records the various registrations of the different colors and this forms the prescription for the color mixture for the lenses. To afford the operator and the patient a view of the mixed color combination which is to be prescribed, means is provided in the electric circuit for simultaneously illuminating all of the lights at the respective color intensities as registered. As here shown such means is in the form of a plurality of supplementary circuits 44, 45, 46, and 4'! connected to the respective colored light circuits between the selector connections and the rheostats. Such supplementary circuits being normally open but may be closed by means of a relay 48. Preferably a control switch 49 is provided in the main circuit leads.

While I have described the operation for determining the minimum color sensibility by increasing the intensity of the colors until a point of recognition is reached, it will be obvious that the operation may be reversed, decreasing the intensity until a point is reached where the patient loses the recognition of the color.

It is also possible to employ this invention to secure a stimulation of the sensitivity of the eye for the colors in which the eye may be deficient or to obtain a reduction in the stimulation of the eye for certain colors where an undesirable hyperacuity exists. The increased stimulation can be accomplished by supplying to the eye, the complementary of the color in which the decreased visual acuity exists, and where the sensitivity is overly acute colors will be selected which will proportionately decrease stimulation for the color for which the eye is hyper-sensitive. When the invention is used for thus correcting the color stimulation, periodic determinations of the different color sensibilities of the eye are desired, in order that adjustment in the color of the lenses may be made as the stimulation approaches normalcy.

I claim:

1. A method of determining the color reflex sensation of the human eye which comprises exposing the eye successively to different colors in succession throughout substantially the same range of varying intensities and to a white light between each exposure of colored light, the white light exposure being of sumcient duration to dissipate the complementary color image produced following each color exposure, indicating in units of color intensity substantially the minimum intensity at which each of the different colors are distinguished by the eye, and then exposing to the eye simultaneously all of said colors with the intensity of the different colors conforming to the indicated intensity valuation for each color respectively to obtain the proper composite color value.

2. In an apparatus for obtaining the color reflex sensation of the human eye, comprising an elongated casing having at one end a plurality of transversely separated compartments, light diffusion plates positioned at theopposite end of said casing and visible from the exterior of said casing for individual viewing by the subject under test, openings in the ends of said compartments adjacent the diffusion plates, a source of illumination in each of said compartments, means for independently varying and indicating the intensity of the source of illumination in each of said compartments, a plurality of differently colored slides arranged for positioning in the opening of each of said compartments and through Which the light is projected on said diffusion plates, the walls of said casing opposite said com partments having openings for inserting or removing said slides from said compartments, a colorless light at the inner side of said diffusion plates ararnged for illumination independently of said first named source of illumination and positioned transversely adjacent said slides but exteriorly of said compartments, whereby the minimum of intensity required for response to the particular colored light under test may be determined.

3. In an apparatus for obtaining the color reflex sensation of the human eye, comprising an elongated casing having at one end a plurality of transversely separated compartments, light diffusion plates positioned at the opposite end of said casing and visible from the exterior of said casing for individual viewing by the subject under test, openings in the ends of said compartments adjacent the difiusion plates, a source of illumination in each of said compartments, means for independently varying and indicating the intensity of the source of illumination in each of said compartments, a plurality of differently colored slides arranged for positioning in the opening of each of said compartments and through which the light is projected on said diffusion plates, the walls of said casing opposite said compartments having openings for inserting or removing said slides from said compartments, a colorless light at the inner side of said diffusion plates arranged for illumination independently of said first named source of illumination and positioned transversely adjacent said slides but exteriorly of said compartments, and means co- 7 acting with the means for varying the intensity of the lights whereby the minimum intensity required for response to the respective colors may be determined.

4. In an apparatus for obtaining the color reflex sensation of the human eye, comprising an elongated casing having at one end a plurality of transversely separated compartments, light diffusion plates positioned at the opposite end of said casing and visible from the exterior of said casing for individual viewing by the subject under test, openings in the ends of said compartments adjacent the difiusion plates, a source of illumination in each of said compartments, means for independently varying and indicating the intensity of the source of illumination in each of said compartments, a plurality of differently colored slides arranged for positioning in the opening of each of said compartments and through which the light is projected on said diffusion plates, the walls of said casing opposite said compartments having openings for inserting or removingsaidslides from said compartments, a colorless light at the inner side of said diffusion plates aranged for illumination independently of said first named source of illumination and positioned transversely adjacent said slides but exteriorly of said compartments, and means coacting with the means for varying the intensity of the lights to evaluate the minimum sensibility illumination in units of color intensity whereby the colors may be exactly proportioned and combined to produce a composite color made up of the component color parts of which the eye will be equally sensitive.

5. An apparatus for obtaining the color perception of the human eye, comprising a plurality of difierent colored lights adapted to be individuallyviewed by an observer, means for gradually and uniformly varying the intensity of each of said lights independently of each other, means for indicating the relative intensities of each of the lights in common units of color valuation, and means coacting with the means for varying the intensity of the lights for simultaneously exhibiting the colored lights having the intensities indicated whereby the observer may view the composite light.

'6. An apparatus for obtaining the color percep tion of the human eye, comprising a plurality of different colored lights adapted to be individually viewed by an observer, a diffusion plate for viewing by the eye positioned in front of said lights and providing a color display area for each of said lights, means to correspondingly vary the intensity individually of each of said colored lights independently of the other colored lights, means indicating the intensity of each of said lights in common units of measurement and means 00- acting with the means for varying the intensity of the lights for simultaneously exhibiting the colored lights having the intensities indicated whereby the observer may View the composite light.

7. An apparatus for obtaining the color perception of the human eye, comprising a casing, a plurality of different colored lights positioned therein adapted to be individually viewed by an observer, means in said casing providing a common area visible from the exterior of the casing for illumination by each of said lights, means to illuminate said first means with a white light, means to vary the intensity of illumination of said first means by each of said colored lights, means to individually indicate the intensity of illumination of each of said colored lights, and -means .coacting with the means for varying the intensity of the lights for simultaneously :exhibiting the colored lights having the intensities indicated whereby the observer may view the composite light.

8. An apparatus for obtaining the color reflex sensation of the human eye, comprising a casing, alight diffusion plate in said casing, visible from the exterior of the casing, a plurality of different colored lights in said casing individually viewable by an observer, and arranged for separately or jointly illuminating said plate from the interior of the casing, means 'to vary the intensity of said colored lights each independently of and relative to one another, and means to indicate the intensity of each of said lights in standard units of color, and means coacting with the means for varying the intensity of the lights for simultaneously exhibiting the colored lights having the intensities indicated whereby the observer may View the composite light.

PHILLIP s. NEWTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,234,240 Frohring et al Mar. 11, 1941 2,240,156 Feldman Apr. 29, 1941 2,247,653 Feldman July 1, 1941 1,558,348 Ferree et a1 Oct. 20, 1925 2,045,704 Ferree et al June 30, 1936 1,880,026 Singerman Sept. 27, 1932 2,209,728 Higley July 30, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 439,375 Great Britain Dec. 5, 1935 328,708 Germany Oct. 30, 1920 OTHER REFERENCES Tscherning Text, Physiologic Optics, publ. Keystone Publ. Co. (1924), pages 295297.

Helmholtz, Physiological Optics, as translated by Southall, publ. by Opt. Soc. of Am., pages 232, 233, 240, 241, 324, 325, 346, 347, 361, 366, 367, of vol. II, 1924.

Hecht article in Natl. Academy of Science Proceedings, Vol. 23, 1937, pages 227-229, 233. 

